From May 17 to 18, 2025, the 8th Youth Exchange Summit of Four Honors Schools in the Yangtze River Delta, hosted by Nanjing University’s Kuang Yaming Honors School, was successfully held. Under the theme “Kuang’s Worldly Mission, Zhu’s Radiant Light, Journey to Excellence; Gifted Youth Soar High with Dreams”, the summit focused on the mission and responsibility of honors school youth in the era of artificial intelligence, aiming at fostering consensus and strengthening cooperation among these sister universities’ honors schools. Over 200 faculty and student representatives from Zhiyuan College (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Chu Kochen Honors College (Zhejiang University), School of the Gifted Young (University of Science and Technology of China), and Kuang Yaming Honors School (Nanjing University) participated.
The summit featured an opening ceremony, parallel discussion sessions, student talent shows, quality development activities, and a closing ceremony. At the opening ceremony, Zhou Yuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of suncitygroup太阳成集团(中国)-官方网站 版权所有, warmly welcomed attendees from the three sister honors schools. She introduced Kuang Yaming Honors School’s persistent exploration and reform in innovating the general science education model, under the guidance of the “Three Adaptations” principle. She encouraged students to ignite sparks of thought, showcase youthful vitality, forge deep friendships, tackle challenges with innovative thinking, fulfill their mission with a strong sense of responsibility, and strive to contribute to the Yangtze River Delta’s integrated development and the construction of building China into a leading nation in education and a leader in science and technology.
Faculty Advisers from Zhiyuan College (SJTU), Chu Kochen Honors College (ZJU), and the School of the Gifted Young (USTC) also delivered remarks respectively.
Subsequently, representatives from the four schools exchanged gifts symbolizing their friendship.
Student union representatives from each honors school interpreted their unique educational philosophies and academic pursuits from diverse perspectives, systematically introducing brand projects organized by students and showcasing cutting-edge explorations in honors school development. Qiu Wenxuan, representing Kuang Yaming Honors School’s student union, elaborated on its service-oriented principles and pragmatic work style, emphasizing unity, efficiency, and rigor.
After college showcases, students from Kuang Yaming Honors School presented captivating performances.
The post-opening discussion sessions were divided into five parallel forums: cooperation overview, academic development, cultural and sports activities, media, publicity, and diplomacy, and diversified growth. In each parallel forum, students delivered dynamic presentations showcasing their school’s distinctive activities, tailored to their specific operational contexts. The atmosphere grew increasingly lively as participants actively engaged in discussions, exchanging insights with enthusiasm. They critically examined existing work paradigms, shared practical experiences in student affairs, and collectively envisioned new approaches through this vibrant intellectual exchange.
As night fell after the discussions, the Four Honors Schools Youth Summit Talent Show commenced. Students from the four universities wove through melodies spanning classical to modern genres. Piano and guitar performances transported listeners into ethereal reverie, culminating in a profound cello rendition of Hymn to Love—its solemn elegance paying tribute to over a decade of friendship among the four universities.
On May 18 morning, students from four universities split into five adventure streams for team-building and hands-on exploration activities: astronomical exploration, frisbee, darts challenges, seal engraving, and orienteering. Students immersed themselves in diverse signature activities—sweating it out on the sports field, forging ahead, unraveling cosmic mysteries, and embracing traditional culture. Through hands-on experiences, they absorbed the 120-year cultural heritage of Nanjing University and deepened the bonds among the four universities.
At the closing ceremony, Zhou An, Deputy Party Secretary of Kuang Yaming Honors School, reflected on the summit’s history and emphasized the importance of four universities’ collaboration in talent cultivation. Citing the proverb “Traveling alone brings speed; traveling together ensures distance,” he encouraged youth to thrive through exchange. He urged students to dare to “break boundaries,” excel in “symbiotic growth,” and embrace “cross-disciplinary innovation,” calling on them to compose chapters of their era with youthful vigor, uphold firm convictions, pursue their passions, and co-create the future. Student representatives from the four honors colleges then presented the discussion outcomes of their respective parallel sessions.
With the passing of the summit flag, Kuang Yaming Honors School officially handed over the hosting rights of the next Youth Exchange Summit to the School of the Gifted Young of the University of Science and Technology of China. The flag, as a token of commitment, inaugurated a new chapter of exploration. Finally, Liang Kaiying, one of Nanjing University’s 43rd “Top Ten Singers”, performed Against the Light, embodying the steadfast spirit of contemporary youth through singing. Amidst the music, the summit concluded.
The Youth Exchange Summit of Honors Schools in the Yangtze River Delta spans the Jianghuai region and connects Shanghai-Hangzhou. With cultivating top-notch innovative talents in the new era as the bond, it has established a cross-regional collaborative education mechanism for universities. This summit centered on the mission and responsibilities of honors school youth in the AI era, pooling educational wisdom from each university to generate innovative ideas on future cooperation models and student affairs management. These intellectual exchanges have provided valuable insights for improving the quality of youth league and student work in honors colleges. Going forward, the summit platform will continue to exert its radiating influence, establishing a normalized exchange mechanism to build a more influential youth exchange community and sustainably support the cultivation of top-tier innovative talents in honors schools.
